Wayne Rooney has already made views on Everton job clear as Frank Lampard at risk of sack | Football | Sport
Wayne Rooney has already suggested that he would be open to returning to Everton in a managerial capacity as the speculation over Frank Lampard’s immediate future in the role continues to grow. The latter currently finds himself under intense scrutiny after failing to make any significant progress since the end of last season, with the Toffees having fallen into the Premier League’s drop zone following Tuesday’s heavy defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Everton’s players were loudly booed after the final whistle at Goodison Park and many fans have been directing their fury towards Lampard, who has struggled to impress since replacing Rafa Benitez in the dugout just under a year ago. He remains contracted until the summer of 2024 as things stand but Everton’s poor form under his guidance has sparked growing calls for him to be sacked over the coming days, with supporters quickly running out of patience.
It remains to be seen who would be drafted in to replace Lampard if he is relieved of his duties in the not-too-distant future, with the likes of Sean Dyche and Ange Postecoglu having been linked with the potential vacancy as of late. Rooney is another name to have been mentioned in connection with the Toffees in recent weeks and has already insisted that he would love to manage his former club if the opportunity arises at some point down the line.
The current DC United boss, who previously rejected the Everton job during his time in charge of Derby County, told Monday Night Football back in April: “There are two clubs: Everton and Manchester United. I’m an Everton fan, I was at Man Utd for 13 years. I feel if I keep doing what I’m doing, keep learning, keep improving, those two clubs one day in the future I’d love to go and manage.
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“I understand when Frank Lampard went to Chelsea, it’s so difficult to say no. But when you go into one of these big clubs you need to make sure it’s the right time and you’re able to develop and take that club forward. I got approached by Everton to interview for the manager’s job but I’m in a job, I’m still learning and I felt it wasn’t the right time.”
Rooney is said to be one of several names on Everton’s shortlist in the event Lampard is sacked in the near future, with the 44-year-old seemingly on thin ice as things stand. He spoke about his future at Goodison Park in the aftermath of Tuesday’s defeat to insist that is not concerning himself with the media speculation in spite of the growing pressure on his shoulders to put things right as a matter of urgency.
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“Since I have been here we have been in this situation of a relegation battle, last year and through this season,” said Lampard. “It is not a case of fear [for my job], it is a case of keep working. I cannot control the talk or the decisions when you are around this area of the table.
“This is what happens when you lose a game like this, I absolutely understand any reaction. I don’t listen to too much of it because if you do it becomes your focus point. I don’t think it is time to go into the dressing room talk. It is about personal responsibility and that is down to every player and myself.
“What could I do better? What can you do better the next time? I have seen enough on Saturday [against Manchester City] in terms of parts of the performance [to believe I can turn things around]. What isn’t good enough is the consistency to get results. The first half I didn’t hate but the six minutes is not good enough from us and if you are going to perform like that defensively then you will lose games.”
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